TikTok’s Grip on Young Spaniards’ Dietary Habits Raises Health Concerns
A study reveals TikTok's significant influence on young Spaniards' diets and body image, prompting calls for regulation and mental health safeguards.
- • TikTok's algorithm promotes extreme diets and body image ideals impacting young users’ eating habits.
- • A 2025 study with 400+ TikTok users shows alignment of food preferences with social media content.
- • Experts call for regulation of nutritional advice and warnings on extreme diets on social media.
- • A conference highlights mental health risks of social media use among minors and advocates for legal protections.
Key details
TikTok has transformed from a platform for entertainment into a powerful influence on the dietary habits and body image perceptions of young Spaniards. A study published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies, based on a 2025 survey with over 400 active TikTok users, reveals how the platform's algorithm shapes food preferences and normalizes extreme dietary behaviors. Artur Strzelecki, the study's lead, explains that adolescents and young adults increasingly align their eating routines with what they see on TikTok, including viral culinary trends and influencer content, which affects their daily food choices and restaurant visits.
The platform creates echo chambers where users are repeatedly exposed to restrictive diets, fasting, and quick weight loss promises, amplifying risks related to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Experts warn that adolescents, whose brains are especially sensitive to social validation and imitation, are highly vulnerable to emotionally charged content that promotes unrealistic body ideals.
In parallel, concerns about minors’ mental health and social media use were spotlighted at a recent conference in San Sebastián. Dr. Juan Manuel Machimbarrena highlighted the consequences of excessive social media use, particularly among girls, and emphasized the need for reasonable usage and greater platform accountability. Family law expert Delia Rodríguez underscored the necessity for stronger legal protections, including raising the minimum social media age to 16 and improving safety measures by tech companies. Parents are also encouraged to be cautious about sharing images of their children online.
Together, these findings and expert insights call for regulatory measures on nutritional advice on platforms like TikTok, including limiting recommendations to accredited professionals, labeling extreme diets with warnings, and restricting content access for minors. Recognizing TikTok's role in shaping contemporary diets and health outcomes is critical to safeguarding young generations’ well-being without stifling creativity in digital culinary culture.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
